Mega Man RPG Prototype Game Mechanics

Robot cores are one of many collectible items in the Mega Man RPG Prototype and are relatively easy to find. Cores can either be thrown at enemies to deal elemental damage like an attack, or can be sold to Reggae in his shop for large amounts of zenny.

Robot cores are primarily used to defined which abilities any given robot is capable of using in battle. Each robot has a core inside of them with a type matching one of the 20 types available in game and can be equipped with any ability that matches that type.

Weapon Energy and Damage Bonuses

Robot cores also boost the effectiveness of abilities sharing the same type as the user in battle, not only increasing damage and recovery but also decreasing the required weapon energy for certain abilities.

As an example, Ice Man is a Freeze Core robot and that allows him equip same-type abilities using the Robot Editor. When using these Freeze abilities in battle, Ice Man will deal 50% more damage and/or recovery and require 50% less weapon energy to use when compared to other abilities that do not match his core type (like Neutral type abilities).

While Copy Core robots like Mega Man, Bass, and Proto Man are undoubtedly more versatile in battle, those with elemental cores like Ice Man tend to be much more effective when used properly.

New Core Throwing Mechanic

Thanks to the April 2016 update, it is now possible to throw robot cores at your opponents! A core can be used one time like any other item before an attack and thrown at an enemy on the opponent's side of the field to deal percent-based elemental damage.

This new mechanic replaces the old one wherein a Copy Core robot would change colours mid-battle and the Field Multipliers would change upon using one of these items.

Robot Cores Posted by Adrian Marceau on April 28th, 2013 at 7:37pm Viewed 1404 Times

22 Comments

I've been thinking that instead of getting bonus for the same element attacks - the robots don't get to learn any other moves than the ones with same type anyways - maybe only their signature moves should get some sort of bonus? This would promote staying "true" to the game series. Though this might prove to be quite problematic with some robots, since not all of them have such powerful signature moves.

I really like the same type damage bonus, but somehow it just doesn't feel right that Metal Man would be able to deliver the same amount of extra punch with Needle Cannon that he can with Metal Blade.

What comes to balance, it would most probably hurt most robots, and make the "top tier" robots even more powerful.

This is a good point. I plan to keep the core boost as it gives elemental robot masters the edge they need over Mega Man and Proto Man (otherwise, what's the point of using them?) but I see what you're saying about Metal man being just as effective with Needle Cannon as he is with Metal Blade. Perhaps I will add a new mechanic that details the source each of these abilities, that way robot who use their own signature abilities do more damage than when they use the abilities of others. Maybe decrease the core boost to 25% and then make this signature move boost also 25%. Either way, thank you for the suggestion and I'll update this thread when I've come up with something. :)

Though, I forgot to mention/ask that if the signature move naturally raises a stat, Leaf Shield for example, shouldn't the stat boost also be higher if LS is used by Wood Man, because he is the best at doing Leaf Shield. I know, I know, it sounds really stupid and minor, but repeating with the same formula, Snake Man shouldn't be able to get the same level of protection from LS as Wood Man, just because it's Wood Man's signature move.

Good points, I'll make sure to keep this in mind when I add the new mechanic. I'm thinking the best way to work with this is to make the ability work better with its rightful owner rather than worse when used by someone else. That way the stats that appear in the database are accurate for at least 99% of robots. :P

I'm not sure if I'm going to do it, but I was thinking about having the Stardroids be the first (and maybe only?) Dual-Core robots (to match the special weapons I gave them). Maybe it can be a post-game feature for other robots, but I'm just not comfortable giving dual-cores to regular robots when only some of them would qualify.

Certainly something I need to think about though - if I get it right it could be really fun. :)

Sorry for bumping this topic, but are you supposed to unlock ALL of a Robot Master's abilities (granted they are the appropriate level) when you unlock them? I fought a Lvl 5 Iceman and only got him and his Ice Breath. I tried to equip Cutman with Ice Slasher (Freeze/Cutter Type) because I noticed that Iceman had it, but it didn't show on Cutman's Ability List. Did I overlook something?

Yes, every ability that your robot learns by level-up the [original] player should automatically learn as well. The fact that your Dr. Light did not have Ice Slasher for equipping is a bug, though it should be fixed now. Sorry about that! :P

I'm not sure about Turbo Man being a Flame Core robot. I know Turbo Man's weapon is Scorch Wheel, but I think that he should be a Swift Core robot because his theme is velocity, just like Quick Man or Nitro Man.

What do you think?

And maybe Sword Man should be a Cutter Core robot instead of a Flame Core robot.

More fitting for Turbo Man's stage as well, considering that the stage barely has any fire-related stuff aside from the oh-so-annoying insta-kill fire bars.

Sword Man though, he could be both. If one was to only see how he looks and his name, he would definitely be a cutter core robot. However, he does have Flame Sword as his ability iirc. But in the end, he's a master of swords, not flames.

Regarding your suggestions about Sword Man and Turbo Man, I hear you and I agree. I think it would be more appropriate for Turbo Man to learn other Swift moves than more Flame moves and I feel it would be more appropriate for Sword Man to learn other Cutter moves than Flame ones. I agreed the last few times it was suggested but I keep forgetting to change it. Thanks for the reminders!

I have removed the previous in-battle functionality for the elemental Robot Cores and replaced it with something else entirely.

Previously, when used by a robot in battle a core would boost the Field Multiplier of its associated element by 10%. If the robot using the core was a Copy type, that core would also change the appearance and type of the user to match its element.

After today's update, Robot Cores now act as throwable items that deal a set amount of damage to any target on the opponent's side of the field. This elemental damage is not effected by robot attack, robot defense, field multipliers, or Starforce boosts, but it is effected by weaknesses, resistances, affinities, and immunities.

Given that each of the standard elemental cores deal damage equal to 10% of the target's max life energy, it isn't difficult to calculate how many cores it would take to disable a given opponent. Under normal circumstances it would take 5 super effective cores, 10 neutrally effective cores, or 20 not very effective cores to knock out any given target.

Throwing your hard-earned cores away may not be the best idea when dealing with small or easy to defeat foes, but against tougher opponents the throwing of cores has the potential to quickly give you the upper hand. Either save your cores and sell them to Reggae for lots of zenny, or throw them at targets in battle for additional damage. Your choice.